Basho Talk Kyushu 2017 (SPOILERS)

[Dwale]

Hol-ee crap, what a day! Exciting battles just all over the place. With the Aminishiki match I thought, "Well, that's going to be hard to top." Boy, did that ever turn out to be naive. So, just a couple of thoughts, I might post some more later...

Shohozan came in with a good strategy, but you have got to watch out for Kisenosato to pull a reversal at the tawara. He's rather good at that.

Takakeisho is learning fast. Too soon to start talking "ozeki" IMO, but learning fast. I expect we'll be seeing a lot of him in the years to come.

I feel bad for Takayasu, but he is still recovering, after all. 

Chiyoshoma has Ichinojo's number. This is textbook "technique > size" stuff.

There's nothing magnetic about Arawashi, but he's a solid rikishi and has proven to be adaptable. Just giving some props to the guy, he tries hard.

Edited November 16, 2017 by Dwale
added space

[Dwale]

13 hours ago, Jakusotsu said:

No, he hasn't. As we all know now for sure, Takanohana is on a crusade to get rid of all Mongolians.

There are about 10 million of them. He had better clear his schedule.

[Dapeng]

2 hours ago, Morty said:

Does Hak really hate Tochiozan or something? It is always him he seems to make look the most stupid.

Probably. But may not bad for Tochi. For example, Kise was hated by Asashoryu and now his yokozuna. Maybe one day we'll see Tochi a yokozuna too  

[Dwale]

2 hours ago, Morty said:

Does Hak really hate Tochiozan or something? It is always him he seems to make look the most stupid.

And yet, it is Hakuho himself who is dirtied the most by these antics.

[robnplunder]

I used to hate Aminishki's henka full of trick plays.   Now, I don't care how he does it.  I want to see him win, win, win, ....    How many of us thought at age 39, he'd come back from dead (age, juryo & injury)?  Not me.   Aminishki for the Prime Minister in the next election!  If he can come back from the dead, he can do anything for Japan.

Edited November 16, 2017 by robnplunder

[Atenzan]

A jikan-mae actual tachiai would have been so awesome though... 

[The Fat Cyclist]

1 hour ago, Dwale said:

And yet, it is Hakuho himself who is dirtied the most by these antics.

Surely this must have been Hakuho making a point about something. I would love to know what.

[RabidJohn]

Maybe Hakuho disapproves of that little yokozunu shuffle Tochiozan always slips into his ritual just before the tachi-ai, but he always seems to go out of his way to mess with his head and/or humiliate him. I've no doubt both the jikan-mae and dame-oshi were premeditated. Maybe he's trying to draw a little flak away from Harumafuji...

Aminishiki is awesome. You know that HNH attempt he opened with, will it now have to be referred to as a 'some-other-rikishi-who-does-it-regularly non-henka' - edited out like Kevin Spacey?

[inhashi]

38 minutes ago, McBugger said:

A jikan-mae actual tachiai would have been so awesome though... 

Haru 2013 and the moment it happened with Tokitenku, rest in peace.

Edited November 16, 2017 by inhashi

[Atenzan]

15 minutes ago, inhashi said:

Haru 2013 and the moment it happened with Tokitenku, rest in peace.

That's a classic! And now I'm sad. 

[Benihana]

28 minutes ago, RabidJohn said:

Aminishiki is awesome. You know that HNH attempt he opened with, will it now have to be referred to as a 'some-other-rikishi-who-does-it-regularly non-henka' - edited out like Kevin Spacey?

I was thinking almost exactly the same. TMFKAHNH 

It's only the 3rd time he is 5-0 on day 5. 2015.03 he went 7-0, 2007.09 it was 8-0. Impressive.

[robnplunder]

There has been absolutely no check on hands down before tachi-hai rule.  Some didn't even came close to touching down and yet I didn't hear any mattas by shimpans.  

Yeah, I wondered about the Hakuho's antic in the last bout punctuated with the extra push at the end.  Again, he acted like a bully and he will probably take the yusho.   It would be beautiful if Takekeisho records his 3rd kinboshi in this basho against Hak.   I am crossing my fingers on that.

[RabidJohn]

4 minutes ago, robnplunder said:

 It would be beautiful if Takekeisho records his 3rd kinboshi in this basho against Hak.   I am crossing my fingers on that.

Where have you been? Takakeisho had his opportunity against Hakuho on day 3, but failed to take it.

[robnplunder]

3 minutes ago, RabidJohn said:

Where have you been? Takakeisho had his opportunity against Hakuho on day 3, but failed to take it.

He did?   I got Onosho and Takakeisho confused.  I thought it was Onosho who lost to Hak.  My bad, thanks.

 

Then, it will be beautiful if Onosho thrashes Hak in their match.  I will settle for that.

Edited November 16, 2017 by robnplunder

[Atenzan]

While Hakuhou's impact in his jikan-mae attempt might have been a bit much, there's nothing inherently wrong with a jikan-mae start. In fact, in an ideal (for the rikishi) world where the rikishi don't have a warm-up-time limit, every tachiai would be unprompted. This was no dishonourable act on Hakuhou's part and would have been a really really cool thing to see. 

[Benihana]

19 minutes ago, robnplunder said:

There has been absolutely no check on hands down before tachi-hai rule.  Some didn't even came close to touching down and yet I didn't hear any mattas by shimpans.  

IIRC someone told 2 or 3 days ago, that the shinpan are on orders to ignore it. 

[inhashi]

Jikanmae has practically disappeared recently when it was not so unusual during the Showa era.  Takanohana and Kitazakura come to mind and if I'm not mistaken, Kotomitsuki as well.

[kawika]

all i want for xmas is an aminishiki yusho!!!  too early?

https://youtu.be/7LLF1ai7sMU?t=1m22s

 

[ryafuji]

53 minutes ago, inhashi said:

Jikanmae has practically disappeared recently when it was not so unusual during the Showa era.  Takanohana and Kitazakura come to mind and if I'm not mistaken, Kotomitsuki as well.

Takatoriki too.

[Naganoyama]

4 hours ago, inhashi said:

Haru 2013 and the moment it happened with Tokitenku, rest in peace.

It was funny to see the yobidashi rush up at the end with the final round of kensho flags.

[ALAKTORN]

There’s clearly something going on between Hakuhō and Tochiōzan. I feel like Hakuhō always treats him poorly. Anybody knows why?

[Katooshu]

I've only been watching for a few years but I first noticed it after Tochiozan beat Hakuho in Nagoya 2015 (Hak's only loss on his way to a 14-1 yusho).

Their next match featured the nekodamashi.

Edited November 17, 2017 by Katooshu

[Tiger Tanaka]

Aminishiki doing some sort of voodoo magic to stay in and win that one. Some great bouts today! Amin hasn't had to resort to many tricks yet either, would be amazing if he could work his way back up to joi and get a 9th kinboshi. 

Looking forward to Tamawashi v. Yoshikaze tomorrow which should be a slug fest, would be a good match candidate to see first blood of basho for Yoshikaze. Miktakeumi vs Onosho and Takakeisho vs. Takayasu should be a couple solid matches as well.

[kawika]

6 hours ago, ryafuji said:

Takatoriki too.

The master at jikanmae - Naminohana!

[Joaoiyama]

2 hours ago, Katooshu said:

I've only been watching for a few years but I first noticed it after Tochiozan beat Hakuho in Nagoya 2015 (Hak's only loss on his way to a 14-1 yusho).

Their next match featured the nekodamashi.

Tochiozan kinda humiliated Hak, thats why he will always be his ragdoll.